Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle has experienced a remarkable turnaround in the second half of the season. Through the first six weeks, Dowdle recorded two total touchdowns, averaged 4.0 yards per carry and didn’t have a single play over 20 yards.

However, Dowdle’s performance improved significantly from Weeks 7 to 14. He maintained the same number of touchdowns, but his YPC increased to 5.3 and he recorded three plays where he gained more than 20 yards.

Until this season, Dowdle had never rushed for more than 100 yards in his career. He has now surpassed this mark in three games in a row. In last Sunday’s win at Carolina, Dowdle delivered an outstanding performance with 149 rushing yards.

What put Dowdle in the spotlight was the Cowboys’ decision to reduce Ezekiel Elliott’s role. Elliott is not expected to be a factor in the next three games, almost guaranteeing that Dowdle will continue to shine. This impressive mid-season stretch was beneficial for Dowdle as it demonstrated to the team and the rest of the league his abilities for his future career.

Things get a little tricky for the Cowboys, though.

How Rico Dowdle’s recent surge could influence the Cowboys’ 2025 NFL Draft decisions

Dowdle’s future with the Cowboys could largely depend on the 2025 NFL Draft. After not prioritizing the running back position in last year’s draft and missing out on opportunities in free agency, the Cowboys found themselves in a challenging situation. With a strong RB class expected this year, Dallas has important considerations to make when it comes to Dowdle.

Remember when Jerry Jones mentioned going all-in before the season? That statement wasn’t well received, especially considering the Cowboys are coming off a near-disastrous season. Despite dealing with an unprecedented number of injuries, the team still struggled to avoid self-inflicted setbacks

With what Dowdle is doing, Dallas could do exactly what you would expect, ignore the 2025 running back pool and instead fully invest in Dowdle.

If this were any other year, sticking with Dowdle might not be a bad idea, but 2025 is different. The number of running backs in the draft this year is too large to overlook.

The Cowboys are currently expected to have a mid-first round pick, and the hope is that Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty remains available to them. However, as the Cowboys continue to “struggle” this season regardless of the team’s condition, they are reducing their chances of remaining within reach of drafting Jeanty. However, knowing the Cowboys organization, they may not even consider taking a chance on Jeanty (or anyone else) after seeing Dowdle’s “improvement.” This could have long-term negative effects.

Jeanty, along with North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Tennessee’s Dylan Simpson and Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo, form a strong group of running backs that can be considered one of the best RB classes in the last five drafts. This should be enough for Dallas to recognize Dowdle’s contributions, but they still need to think about the team’s direction. Many franchises wouldn’t overthink this situation, but the Jones family-run Cowboys tend to do things differently.

Chances are Dowdle could be part of the Jones 2025 plan, forcing her to sit out of the upcoming running back sweepstakes.